Yatseniuk: Opening statement, Government's session 5/3/14

Opening statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii
Yatseniuk during the Government's session on March 5,
2014

05.03.2014 | 14:07 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATION OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CMU

Respected members of the Cabinet of Ministers,
heads of regional state administration I welcome all of
you! It is our first joint session.

Traditions
of introduction when Prime and Deputy Prime Ministers used
to spent millions to fly to regions and introduce heads of
administrations, we’ve left in the past. I consider that
we must immediately get down to work.

First of all I’d
like to congratulate all heads of regional state
administrations; great responsibility lies on new Government
and on those who bear the responsibility to the Ukrainians
in the regions. Your actions should meet the expectations of
millions people who have been on Maidan, the expectations of
millions of fairness and dignity that we should restore in
the country.

I’d like to start from general political
and economic issues.

There is extraordinary meeting of
heads of states of the EU tomorrow, and I’ve received an
invitation to the meeting. The U.S. Secretary of State
announced yesterday on the first package of economic aid
that Ukrainian will receive and I hope that as soon as
possible - today and tomorrow - our European partners will
also announce an economic package of financial assistance to
Ukraine.

The situation is very difficult concerning state
finances and those possibilities, which we get due to
economic and financial aid package from U.S., the EU and the
IMF, will enable us to stabilize the economic situation.

Of course, the Russian military aggression has both
political, security and economic implications. And
unmotivated presence of Russian troops on the territory of
Ukraine has a very negative effect, especially on the
Ukrainian economy.

Therefore, once again we call on the
Russian leadership to immediately withdraw troops and
perform bilateral and multilateral agreements.

What’s
happening in Crimea threatens not only the national security
of Ukraine, but also the whole world. And only Russia is
responsible for these actions.

The Russian leadership has
and will have no grounds for military aggression on the
territory of Ukraine. Any false grounds, including expressed
by the Russian leadership yesterday, have no foundation.

I recall recent events in the Parliament concerning the
so-called language law. Despite the fact that this is a
particularly sensitive issue for most Ukrainians, but this
is an issue that divides us, and it was absolutely right
decision - not to sign the law “On the Repeal of the Law
of Ukraine “On the Principles of State Language Policy”
and leave it in the current version in order the east of
Ukraine was calm. All have spoken in Russian and will
continue speak. And there is no reason to split Ukraine and
never will be – it is a position of the new Ukrainian
government.

Concerning state administration. The
challenges that stand before heads of regional state
administrations - are actually the restoring of the state
administration and the governance.

We’ve got the state
with an empty treasury, totally corrupt system of state
authorities, starting from the top to the bottom, lack of
law enforcement and security system, corrupt courts. And now
people will expect fast, accurate changes. And the heads of
regional state administrations have hard, quickly and
efficiently set an order, first of all in the system of
state authorities.

I address to all heads of regional
state administrations to urgently propose candidates on the
posts of district state administrations, and on the posts of
your deputies. To assign urgently people, but I stress those
people, that then they would not been caught by prosecutors
together with militia for those crimes which the previous
officials have committed. The staff selection is the direct
responsibility of the head of each Regional State
Administration. You have two weeks to complete the formation
of the structure of the regional authority.

I would also
like to address to the heads of RSAs asking for smoothly
cooperation with local councils. The task of new Government
of Ukraine is the decentralization of power. And Vice Prime
Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman will be responsible
for rapid reform package on local governance.

Today we
realize that one of the key elements should be made by new
Ukrainian government: it is the dismantling of the
centralized government that was formed in last 4 years.
Rights should be given to the regions. People have elected
regional councils, district councils and these regional and
district councils should have adequate powers.

I ask every
head of the region, first of all, to study the situation in
the region quickly: what is happening with the law
enforcement system, what debts for consumed energy
recourses, social payments we have, how taxes are imposed,
you should meet with representatives of small and medium
business that was under constant harassment, cooperate with
people, go to the people and listen to people - and not just
listen, but respond to their requests.

The situation in
Crimea is extremely difficult, but I want to point out that
the Ukrainian government is fulfilling its obligations to
the autonomy. In last two days we’ve listed to Crimea UAH
60 million to meat social and other charges. Ukrainian
Government has met commitments and will continue to meet all
social commitments to Ukrainians living in the
Crimea.

Despite the great debt of the autonomy for the
consumed energy recourses, we provide energy supplies to the
territory of the autonomy. We provide livelihood of the
autonomy, despite the Russian military aggression in the
Crimea.

Of course, there will be difficulties this year,
because I think that actually there will not be the holiday
season after that, when Russian tanks and Russian soldiers
have appeared on the territory of Ukraine, namely in the
Crimea. And if there is not the holiday season - there will
not be additional revenues. And, so, the Government has to
think now, Mr. Shlapak, I ask you, you should adjust the
revenues of the autonomy, we will have to help them and
increase the volume of donations in order to keep the social
situation in the Crimea.

Yesterday I spoke to the Minister
of Defense of Ukraine and the Minister of Finance to
immediately prepare draft resolutions on assistance to the
Armed Forces of Ukraine. On behalf of the Government of
Ukraine let me express my highest gratitude to the Armed
Forces of Ukraine and the Naval Forces of Ukraine, located
in the Crimea. These are people who have sworn to the people
of Ukraine and made the oath. And the fact that Ukrainian
Armed Forces did not give the aggressors, is evidence of a
high patriotic spirit, national pride, which is now in
Ukraine.

Yesterday I ordered the Minister of Defense of
Ukraine and the Minister of Finance to immediately prepare
draft resolutions on assistance to the Armed Forces of
Ukraine. On behalf of the Government of Ukraine let me
express my highest gratitude to the Armed Forces of Ukraine
and the Naval Forces of Ukraine located in the Crimea. These
are people who have sworn to the people of Ukraine and done
their duties. And the fact that Ukrainian Armed Forces did
not capitulate is the evidence of a high patriotic spirit,
national pride, which Ukrainians have.

So, we will made
decisions today on additional financial assistance and
additional benefits for members of the Armed Forces of
Ukraine. I ask immediately after the adoption of the
decision to finance these expenditures. Despite the fact
that the treasury is empty, the Government of Ukraine will
do everything to heroes that they feel that Ukrainian state
honors, respects and cares about them.

Also I’d like to
raise the issue at the selector on preparations for the
sowing season. Dear colleagues, you know that one of the
main segments of the Ukrainian economy is agriculture. We
are losing time. I address to every head of RSA, primarily
to Mr. Minister Shvaika to hold an emergency meeting with
agricultural producers, exporters and suppliers of fuels and
lubricants. The preparation for sowing campaign is a task
number one. This is the issue of food security, the issue of
additional revenues to the state budget and Ukraine's
reputation as one of the major exporters of grain and
agricultural producer in Europe.

So, colleagues, we have
no time. We took responsibility - now we have to bear this
responsibility and take immediate, rapid and effective steps
to ensure that there will be true and real changes in
Ukraine.

I’d like to introduce all heads of RSAs the
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Regional Development
Volodymyr Groysman, he will be responsible for regional
policy. The main task, what he is responsible is a
decentralization of power in the country. We promise this
and we will carry out our
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